Yound Woman Leaning over a Woman Stretched out on the Ground 1840

Eugène Delacroix rendered this ink drawing depicting two women sometime during his career. His oeuvre demonstrates an interest in literature and historical events, but also in human psychology and emotion. Here we see two women intertwined, one leaning solicitously over the other. Her concern is evident, and she appears to be cradling the other woman’s head in her lap. The woman on the ground is lying prone, her head resting on a pillow, her eyes are closed. Is she sleeping, resting, or could she be ill or injured? The scene’s intimacy suggests an emotional relationship between the two women, perhaps of friendship, sisterhood, or even something more. Delacroix was working during a time when gender roles were highly defined, and depictions of women were often idealized or placed within domestic settings. Delacroix often painted women in scenes of violence and vulnerability, yet here he suggests a connection between women that transcends the stereotypes of his time, depicting an affection that is palpable. The drawing leaves us wondering about the nature of their bond and the circumstances that brought them together.